Spring Semester Cutbacks

Let me start with this: I absolutely love to teach. I would do it for (and do sometimes) FREE. (Good thing, too because with the following news, it's close).

Here in the Swampland, budget cuts have hit an already not so fab system and made cutbacks roll around to the lowest common denominator. Andrew, luckily, pays the bills so my news is not devastating for our family. And it will give me time for other plans of a freelance nature.

Yesterday, I learned that instead of the FULL load of 4 classes (approximately 100 students, 100 freshman comp papers every two weeks-ish) I am only teaching TWO. It's wonderful news for me.

I had not wanted that heavy of a load; it sort of happened, I think, by accident, but I was "on the hook" for it and could only get off of that hook by looking like a jerk, so I was going to suck it up. Last semester I had the same workload and I had NOT A SECOND of free time for three months. Things got put off. Many things. So now, this Spring Semester, I will be "Done" for my day of "needing to be on campus" work by 11 am. (That doesn't mean done with work, and I'll still have papers to grade and work to do, but not so damn much).

This means that I will definitely meet my goal of exercise, and other things I won't enumerate here. It's awesome. I'm relieved.

It will be fun to teach such a small amount of students (only 50), what being an adjunct is SUPPOSED to look like. (Part time work is what it's considered.) And "I love to teach" will be once again my mantra, not "I've just gotta get this done, get through this heavy load til the next one".

SO that's the meaning of my strange Facebook status yesterday. Vaycay semester. And me a lean, mean, aerobically fit, fighting machine again. I'll see you suckas in the gym. I'll be the one rockin to this on my I-pod*:


**FYI: in no way is an enjoyment of this song an endorsement of the naughty behaviors depicted within. It's just funny. And I like workin' out to it cause it seems so contrary to being IN the gym. :)